Proofreaders and Copy Markers Job Description

What Do Proofreaders and Copy Markers Do?

Proofreaders and Copy Markers read transcripts and other writings to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. This can apply to writing in any kind of language, including braille. In proofreading your job will be to point out and mark all mistakes, which is a different role from editing, where changes are made in the actual text.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers Skills and Abilities

You will be proofreading documents not only for grammatical correctness but also for accuracy of content, which means that not only will you need to have a mastery of the English language and its rules, but also of different philosophical systems and religions that would be difficult to understand by doing a brief reference check. A high level of oral and written comprehension will be called on. You will be utilizing knowledge of media production and communication to understand where you fit into the process of publication. There will also be times when a high level of knowledge of computers and electronics will be useful. It certainly helps to have experience doing clerical or other office work such as word processing and file and record management. You will want to be able to maintain interpersonal relationships with others as well as stay organized and motivated, being able to set priorities.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers Duties

Your primary role will be proofreading and marking up documents. In order to fully accomplish this, there are some other core tasks involved:

You will coordinate operational activities, including sending corrected files to clients and keeping records.

You will often have to conduct research by searching databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.

Part of your work will be clerical as you will be required to verify the accuracy of financial or transactional data.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers Tools and Technology

Your tools will be quite typical office tools, such as USB drives, laser and inkjet fax machines, laptops, and personal computers. In addition, the following software will come into use at various times:

Data base user interface and query software

Desktop publishing software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Presentation software

Word processing software

Education and Training for Proofreaders and Copy Markers

While over a third of Proofreaders and Copy Markers have only a high school or some college education, the best preparation to be successful in this line of work is at least a Bachelor’s degree. Typically a degree in English or Writing will be most relevant, though other language-intensive programs such as Philosophy, Literature Studies or Communications could provide the needed qualifications.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers Salary

Typically, Proofreaders and Copy Markers make a low-moderate income. While lower paid workers do not make much more than minimum wage, the median salary across the country is about $16.82 per hour, which yields $35,000 over the course of a year. You could possibly make a lot more than this, however, as the top 10 percent of Proofreaders and Copy Markers make over $56,000 in a year.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers Jobs by Geography

In Massachusetts and Louisiana, if highly paid, you can pull in more than double what the average Proofreader and Copy Marker makes, and California comes close to offering that much. Not only does California offer the most jobs for Proofreaders and Copy Markers second to New York—it also has one of the more rapidly expanding industries for this profession of any other state, falling behind only Oregon, DC, and Arizona. Make sure you check which states actually offer these kinds of jobs, as not every state has an industry for Proofreaders and Copy Markers, and in more than half of those which do the industry is shrinking.